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Congressman Pearce takes part in BLM Permitting Process

The House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources held a hearing Thursday to determine how the permitting process for energy production on federal land can be made more efficient.

WASHINGTON D.C. — The House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Energy and Mineral Resources held a hearing Thursday to determine how the permitting process for energy production on federal land can be made more efficient.

“Funds from the production of oil and gas make up roughly one third of New Mexico general fund revenues," Congressman Steve Pearce said. "With a greater focus on unleashing our nation’s energy production abilities, New Mexico has the opportunity to become a stronger leader nationally and globally. To do this, however, we must unwind the burdensome regulations that have piled on the natural resources production industry over the years, and clear the backlog of permit applications that take roughly 300 days to complete in New Mexico. We look over into Texas and see the oil rigs running, producing revenues for their economies, but also good-paying jobs for people who need them most – New Mexico can benefit from this production just as much as Texas. By cutting inefficiencies, we can start the process of pulling New Mexico out of the mud, while ensuring our state receives the hard-earned revenues it deserves for a more prosperous future.”

In Fiscal Year 2016, the oil and gas industry contributed $1.6 billion to the New Mexico general fund. These funds are used for New Mexico schools, teacher salaries, law enforcement and other essential services. Permitting delays in the Carlsbad Bureau of Land Management (BLM) office have reached roughly 300 days in some cases, which has pushed investment to Texas. Some predictions claim that these administrative problems cost New Mexico $800,000 a day in state severance. New Mexico Oil and Gas Association Executive Director, Ryan Flynn, was a panelist at yesterday’s hearing and cited that roughly 50-100 jobs could come with the operation of each oil rig. He also discussed a number of these issues and expressed thoughts and ideas on how to fix these problems.

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